Pro-Awami League (AL) and BNP-minded journalists on Monday announced fresh programme and counter-programme from their respective rallies on the Jatiya Press Club premises, reports UNB.
The AL-leaning journalists announced their programmes giving a 24-hour ultimatum to the Press Club authorities to hoist the national flag at the club, while pro-BNP journalists announced programmes demanding the arrest of those who attacked their rally on Sunday.
The BNP-backed journalists, led by Ruhul Amin Gazi, president of a faction of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ), gathered on the Press Club premises, while the journalists loyal to the ruling AL, led by the prime minister's media adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, assembled there in the morning.
The pro-AL journalists held their rally from 11.00 am to 2.00 pm in protest against Sunday's attack on journalist leaders, while pro-BNP journalists organised its demonstration rally from 12:20pm to 4pm protesting attacks on their rally from an AL procession, also on Sunday.
PM's media adviser Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury joined the pro-AL journalists' rally as the chief guest, which was held with president of a faction of Dhaka Union of Journalists (DUJ) Omar Faruk in the chair.
DUJ general secretary Shaban Mahmud conducted the rally.
Addressing the protest rally, they strongly condemned Sunday's attack on the journalist leaders and demanded that the Press Club be freed from "non-journalist people and terrorists".
Addressing the rally, Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury announced the programmes saying, "If the national flag is not hoisted by Tuesday in the Jatiya Press Club, they'll hoist the flag assembling here on Wednesday."
He called for making professional journalist members of the Jatiya Press Club from the waiting list within the next two weeks.
The former BFUJ president also demanded that the press club be made free from political use.
Meanwhile, Ruhul Amin Gazi presided over the pro-BNP journalists' rally held demanding the arrest of Sunday's attackers and reopening the closed media houses.
Pro-BNP BFUJ secretary general Shawkat Mahmud, general secretary of the Jatiya Press Club Syed Abdal Ahmed, president of the pro-BNP Dhaka Union of Journalists Abdul Hye Sikder and its general secretary Jahangir Alam Prodhan, and general secretary of Dhaka Reporters' Unity Elias Khan, among others, addressed the rally.
Addressing the rally, Ruhul Amin Gazi declared their fresh programmes adding that their movement will continue until the demands are met.
"We'll continue non-stop movement until the attackers are arrested, the closed media houses are opened and killings of photo journalist Aftab Ahmed and journalist couple Sagar-Runi are tried."
He also announced a demonstration rally for 11.00 am on Tuesday on the Jatiya Press Club premises as part of the movement.
Criticising the pro-AL journalists he said, "We're the victims of attacks of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Awami Jubo League (AJL) cadres and AL city unit general secretary Mofazzel Hossain Chowdury Maya led the attack. But they (pro-AL journalists) held the protest rally."
Taking a swipe at Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury, Gazi said he led the rally, though he is not a journalist, rather an adviser to the prime minister. "It's nothing but a drama and farce. Now stop the drama."
Pointing at Iqbal Sobhan, he said, "Don't poke nose in the matter of journalists. You have no office here (in the Jatiya Press Club). Your office is at the PMO."
In their rally, the pro-BNP journalist leaders strongly protested the Dhaka Metropolitan Police commission's remark that they have information that militants hold meetings in the Jatiya Press Club. The DMP boss should mind his language.
